


Standing Tall

by Yueli



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2017-12-21 09:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/898775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yueli/pseuds/Yueli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Neku’s dad is abusive, Joshua finds out, and doesn’t like it one bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The first time it happens it isn’t a big deal, just a slap to the back of the head for doing something stupid. There is a brief flash of pain but it’s gone just as quickly. You scowl and grumble about it not being your fault and you both move on. That is until a bump on the head becomes a slap across the face for getting a bad grade on a test. It’s then and there that it becomes _not ok_. The bruise sticks around for a week and no one comments or asks about it. When you try to tell your mom what happened she dismisses it with a casual, “You know he didn’t mean it.” But she doesn’t meet your eyes. It’s then that you notice the bruise around her wrist that looks suspiciously like a hand.

There is now a connection between the two of you and it makes you feel sick. What’s even worse is you know you are trapped. That night all you can hear is your mom sobbing down the hall. When there is suddenly a sound of skin hitting skin and then silence you know what’s happened. You hate him for hurting her but you hate her just as much for taking it lying down. From then on you don’t think of them as your parents.

A slap becomes a punch and a punch becomes a kick but you’ll be damned if you don’t at least try to give as good as you get. The kids at school just think you’re a punk who likes getting into fights and the teachers all gave up on you as soon as you showed up one day with a split lip. No one asks where the scrapes and bruises come from so you don’t bother telling. Every day _His_ sneer gets more pronounced and the bags under _Her_ eyes get darker. When it’s obvious that all the attention the marks get is a handful of scornful looks you start covering them up. You’re not ashamed of them, actually far from it, but it’s just easier to walk down the street when nobody’s looking at you. You now have your values; the rest of the world can keep theirs.

By the time your fifteen it’s become insignificant. Neither of _Them_ are home very often anymore and you think they are both cowards. All that you really care about is music and CAT, at least until you are shot full of lead _twice._ Sure you get some friends out of the deal and maybe become a better person. Still doesn’t mean that Josh isn't an egotistical prick.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Neku showed up at Hanekoma’s café with bruises down his arms I didn’t think much of it. Figured he had just brawled with Daisukenojo or something equally idiotic. So I tease him a little bit and I’m hardly surprised when he tells me to go take a walk through traffic. What _is_ surprising is the way his music goes chaotic in an entirely furious way. Now this gives me pause because his music hasn’t had this under tone since his time spent in The Game. I also didn’t really like how his imagination had seemed to take a much steeper dive than it usually does when he gets into one of his moods.

Normally I would just scan a person to get the information I wanted and be done with it. Since Neku is very paranoid and carries his player pin on him wherever he goes that option is immediately discarded.  He has even gotten so sensitive to all things UG that he can tell when I’m around him on different frequencies so simply shadowing him for a while wouldn’t work either. So I just settle for some good old fashioned RG stalking. Neku’s always going on about me popping up wherever he happens to be so I might as well prove him right.

Unfortunately Neku turns out to be a lot sharper than I had thought. He hadn’t even made it home before he noticed me following him and promptly and not to mention eloquently told me to fuck off. So with a pout I left to go plot in my sewer.


	3. Chapter 3

What does it mean if you see the shit about to hit the fan and you just let it? Either one, you are very lazy, or two, you mistook it for chocolate. Yeah I don’t know either but the point is I so saw this coming. It was the first real beating _He_ had given me since my return from The Game. I thought having his kid come back from the dead might improve his disposition, no luck. Apparently he thought I had just finally run away and was pretty pissed when I showed back up. I could just feel the love.

So for once I just decide to block the hits rather than letting them land and retaliating. Good thing was that everything was a lot more superficial than they would have been. The not so good news was my arms looked like they got run over by a truck. Repeatedly. And of course I hadn’t done laundry that week so all I had left were short sleeves. I used up the last of the concealer a couple days before my entry in The Game and with everything that went on I forgot to pick more up.

I would have just stayed home if I thought I could get away with it. But I had already blown off Josh once this week and that’s what started this mess in the first place. When I didn’t show up he decided to come pick me up. When I got back _He_ decided to give me a lesson on making prissy friends. Hate what _He’d_ think if he actually met Josh.

So when I meet up with Josh and Mr. H and the most they give me is an amused glance I figure I’m home free. At least until Josh gets this glint in his eye that usually means trouble for anyone around him.  When I notice him following me home and call him out on it the look on his face lets me know that this isn’t over. Though his face is hardly frightening, the last time he gave me that look I ended up modeling Shiki and Eri’s début fashion show in drag. And he wonders why I wear the player pin wherever I go?


	4. Chapter 4

My plotting session turned out rather unsuccessful in terms of what to do about Neku.  Although I did manage to redecorate the Dead God’s Pad in varying shades of orange and purple without noticing. I hope Neku’s bad fashion sense isn’t contagious. I debate bringing Hanekoma into the loop but ultimately decide not to open that can of worms. While he does have a more level head when dealing with Neku than I do – not that anyone will ever hear me admit that outside my own head – he becomes unbearable when I need advice on more personal matters.

By the next morning I’ve managed to clear my schedule for the rest of the week, by which I mean I’ve foisted off my work on the current Game Master. Poor Uzuki seems to be developing a twitch. I think that I’ll have to demote her soon because Kariya has been giving me the evil eye. I swear that man would’ve taken my job years ago if he wasn’t so lazy. But in all seriousness, the longer I think about Neku’s reaction, the less sense it makes. He hardly seems like type to pick fights and his music shouldn’t have changed so drastically over a simple tiff. In the end I head over to his apartment to pester him some more.

I can honestly say that I hadn’t intended to go into the building. I had planned on just calling him down and heading over to the Ramen Don. If Neku had answered his phone it would have probably taken me a lot longer to realize what was going on. It was easy to imprint a neighbor to let me in past security. I had previously managed to wheedle out his floor and apartment number so I took the elevator up. I tried the door and found it unlocked. I later learned that Neku had been on his way out but had been forced back before he could leave. We can’t agree whether I had the best or the worst timing in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

I was actually a bit surprised when Joshua left me alone so easily when I headed home. He would normally been a lot more dedicated to annoying the hell out of me. I headed straight for my room as soon as I got through the door. It didn’t seem like _He_ was home but I’d rather avoid another confrontation until I could pick up more concealer. The last thing I need is Josh becoming any more interested.

I spent the rest of the evening listening to music and sketching. I still have my bigger set of headphones but I’ve kind of self-imposed a rule of not wearing them outside of the apartment. It would be way too easy to slip into old habits. Throwing them down on the street was more symbolic than anything. There is no way I would just leave them there, they cost me an arm and a leg. Worst string of summer jobs of my life. If I had to deliver another newspaper, I think I would simply set it on fire. Much more satisfying.

The sketching is more of a new thing. Ever since The Game ended, my head has been full to bursting with ideas. My ability to express them is still a bit lacking though. Gotta love internet tutorials. My favorite subject is actually different styles of wings. After seeing all the different types of Reaper wings, I became interested in seeing all the different kinds of wings I could make. I’ve yet to really show anyone my drawings although I know that Josh keeps trying to sneak peeks in.

By the time I’ve wrapped up for the night it’s pretty late so I turn in for some semi restful sleep. Sometime later I hear _Him_ stumble in while muttering curses. It doesn’t take a genius to realize he is most likely wasted. That’s going to be a fun morning. With an aggravated sigh, I turn over and drift off.

The next morning I wake up bright and early. I am far from a morning person but my sleep schedule has been fucked up since The Game. My guess is that it has something to do with those abrupt transitions from sleeping to waking that I had to put up with for so long. I change and grab my stuff for the day and quietly head for the door. I manage to get it unlocked before I’m abruptly dodging a glass bottle that was aimed at the back of my head.

When I see _Him_ winding up for another throw I instinctively try to charge up a pin. This would have been really useful if the pins actually worked in the RG. I end up narrowly missing the second bottle but get plenty of shards in my arms from where I blocked my face. The whole time _He_ has been spiting vitriol at me and I’ve had enough. I’m about to make a dash for the door again when it suddenly opens. When I see Joshua standing in the door way all I can think is _oh_ SHIT.


	6. Chapter 6

I can honestly say that I didn’t expect the sight that met me when I swung the door open. The last time I saw Neku covered in anywhere near this much blood was when I shot him that last time. I’m not too proud to say that I froze for much longer than I should have. By the time I manage to restart my mental facilities, Neku had managed to dash past me and down the stairs. I’m left staring at the man who is holding yet another empty bottle and I am bewildered to hear such disgusting music from a person half responsible for Neku’s creation.

Fury that I normally reserve for those threatening my precious Shibuya courses through me and it takes most of my considerable will power to turn around and follow the direction that Neku had sprinted in. I manage to catch up to him at the corner of the street and have to all but tackle him to get him to stop. He seemed to be shaking so much that he would soon vibrate straight through the frequencies.

In any other circumstance I would probably slap him across the face. Just a quick jolt to snap him out of whatever fit he had worked himself into. With the recent obvious revelations about Neku’s home life, that decision is forgone because doing so would be a _very bad_ idea. Those who have been in a similar situation as Neku’s are everywhere but people can have varied reactions to the experience.

So without knowing what else to do I stood there awkwardly while he tried to get ahold of himself. After a quick glance at his arms it’s easy to see that the cuts are not that deep and he seems to be calming down at least slightly. Deciding that he is taking much too long I simply start heading back in the direction of his apartment complex. It is unsurprising when I hear his feet pounding after me and a very unhappy and slightly cautious glare aimed at my back. It wasn’t at all difficult to ignore said glare so I could focus on more important things which mainly included _not_ sending vending machines through undeserving windows. Either way I quickly decided that it was about time that Neku’s parents and I had a _talk_.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

So it was a less than understanding Joshua that greeted the unfortunate opener of the door. “Hello Mrs. Sakuraba, absolutely horrible to meet you in person. Now run along and pack your bags, I have some things I need to discuss with your _ex_ -husband.”

With a look of befuddlement and fear the identified Mrs. Sakuraba began stammering, “Why would I leave my husband? He is very caring and supportive and –”

“Look, you know he’s horrible, I know you know he’s horrible, can we move along?” Joshua is hardly the type to beat around the bush. He is the person that would set the bush on fire.

With a slightly bewildered look, the soon to be ex-Mrs. Sakuraba left to pack her things and prepare to start her life anew. It was at this point that Neku caught back up with Joshua. Josh had entered the elevator of the apartment complex ahead of him and allowed the doors to shut without letting Neku in. Neku then had to climb several flights of steps to get up to his floor. He arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the former two’s interactions.

“You imprinted her didn’t you!” it was without question that Neku was not in the best of moods.

“Naturally. Can you imagine how long it would have taken to get her to do it herself? I would have been talking in circles for hours and that would have just wasted everybody’s time.” With a haughty sniff Joshua proceeded farther into the apartment until he encountered the unpleasant stench of alcohol.

If I had needed any more evidence that the man before me deserved everything I could dish up, it was promptly presented by the way the man’s face turned a rather unpleasant puce as soon as he laid eyes on me. I’m sure the stomp forward he took was meant to be intimidating, but when one has advanced to as high a position as I have, they become very tired of such amateurish posturing. Honestly, the man couldn’t even manage a passable sneer. This was quickly moving into pathetic territory.

“Who the hell are you?” Ignorant of how deeply in over his head he is, Mr. Sakuraba squares off against what is to him, a frail teenager.

“Yoshiya Kiryu but I tend to go by Joshua. Although Neku does call me Josh on occasion. You on the other hand may refer to me as Merciful Overlord. If you cooperate you might leave this with only minimal maiming as opposed to full out annihilation.”

“Now see here you little shit, I could beat your scrawny ass blindfolded –“ Mr. Sakuraba was suddenly cut off by a blinding white light accompanied by a loud boom. When all involved could see again, a very fried Mr. Sakuraba was revealed to be slumped ungracefully where he was once standing.

“Well I did give him a chance, hardly my fault if he was too stupid to accept it.” With a shrug Joshua continued on through the apartment making no effort to avoid stepping on the man in the middle of the room.

“Did you just Jesus Beam him? Oh my God you did.”

“Quit hyperventilating dear, it’s very unseemly. Now that all that is out of the way your guardianship will be transferred over to Hanekoma –”

“Mr. H? Why would he do that?”

“Do stop interrupting its very rude not to mention annoying. Now as I was saying I’m sure Hanekoma would be happy to nurture your budding artistry and I’ll take care of all relevant documentation. There is a spare room at his café that he has been meaning to do something with for ages. This will finally give him an excuse. Not to mention the few customers he has absolutely _adore_ you.” As Joshua talked, he found what was obviously Neku’s room and began snooping _ahem_ packing Neku’s things.

“Well it’s either that or bunking with me at the Dead God’s Pad, your choice.”

“I hate you so much.” But the grin on Neku’s face seemed to negate the harshness of his words and it was a much lighter feeling Neku who showed up with all of his stuff at Hanekoma’s café.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how long this took. Quick question though, would you like just one more chapter to wrap things up or would you like me to continue and see where the story goes? I have some more ideas but don't really have anything long term. Can anyone imagine overprotective papa!Mr. H who has no idea how to handle suddenly being responsible for a teenager? Drop a comment with your opinion if you're interested.


End file.
